The Speed of Time, and Getting Important Things Done
Older Son went to school today for several hours to work on the Senior Class Video. When he came home after working on the project he had his cap and gown. Gasp! It's really going to happen. He has a class meeting on Tuesday morning, the Senior Class Video show Tuesday evening, graduation rehearsal Wednesday morning, and he graduates on Thursday night. This is just amazing to me.
On Marginal Revolution, Tyler Cowen wrote about Subjective Time, describing research that indicates that time seems to pass more quickly as we age. Here is a quote that caught my attention:
This does not surprise me at all. I remember so clearly the day he was born, and while it was not "yesterday," (like it was for the little boy, who will be starting kindergarten in the fall) it is certainly much less than almost-eighteen years. Except that really, it's not.
I got a couple of important things done today. I followed up with an old boss and he sent an e-mail off to a the guy I interviewed with on Wednesday. I did some dishes. I sent off an application for a federal job. Tomorrow's important things include vacuuming and getting the dorm application off to Great Big State Party School.
I just re-read that paragraph. Readers might infer I'm being facetious in my descriptions of important things. I'm not. Other little accomplishments I made today are activities that I can crank out effortlessly. Several tasks I completed today just flow out of me: cooking the bratwurst for dinner, managing money stuff, baking a fruit cocktail cobbler for dessert. Other activities weren't even tasks: talking to my daughter for a while on the phone, watching the repeat of the final episode of Frasier - those were just for fun. But getting the application out and making the job follow up and loading the dishwasher required a force of my will to make them happen. They needed doing, though I would rather not. And I did them anyway.
Maybe important is the wrong word. Here is a better way of phrasing it: I got many important things done today; even some unpleasant ones.
Little boy just gave me a card he made. It's a picture of a magic wand. I think I'm going to buy a magic wand for myself. I bet they have one at Wal-mart. I'll just wave my magic wand, and then I'll do the vacuuming.
On Marginal Revolution, Tyler Cowen wrote about Subjective Time, describing research that indicates that time seems to pass more quickly as we age. Here is a quote that caught my attention:
Say you are forty and you will live to eighty. According to one set of calculations, your life, as subjectively perceived, is already seventy-one percent over. This is the most disturbing scientific fact I have heard in a long time. Your last twenty years will feel like no more than thirteen percent of your life. Another set of equations, harder to confirm, puts the age of seventeen and a half (!) as the midpoint of your subjectively experienced life.
This does not surprise me at all. I remember so clearly the day he was born, and while it was not "yesterday," (like it was for the little boy, who will be starting kindergarten in the fall) it is certainly much less than almost-eighteen years. Except that really, it's not.
I got a couple of important things done today. I followed up with an old boss and he sent an e-mail off to a the guy I interviewed with on Wednesday. I did some dishes. I sent off an application for a federal job. Tomorrow's important things include vacuuming and getting the dorm application off to Great Big State Party School.
I just re-read that paragraph. Readers might infer I'm being facetious in my descriptions of important things. I'm not. Other little accomplishments I made today are activities that I can crank out effortlessly. Several tasks I completed today just flow out of me: cooking the bratwurst for dinner, managing money stuff, baking a fruit cocktail cobbler for dessert. Other activities weren't even tasks: talking to my daughter for a while on the phone, watching the repeat of the final episode of Frasier - those were just for fun. But getting the application out and making the job follow up and loading the dishwasher required a force of my will to make them happen. They needed doing, though I would rather not. And I did them anyway.
Maybe important is the wrong word. Here is a better way of phrasing it: I got many important things done today; even some unpleasant ones.
Little boy just gave me a card he made. It's a picture of a magic wand. I think I'm going to buy a magic wand for myself. I bet they have one at Wal-mart. I'll just wave my magic wand, and then I'll do the vacuuming.
7 Comments:
Hey hey hey, you've changed your underwear too, sweet! I like having the post below as I comment above, how did you do that? I haven't even read your post yet, I just wanted to acknowledge your new digs, and I like what you've done with the place. Do tell me that DH is down and safe won't you? Are you breathing easy?
I hear WannaBe Jo Fairy is giving out free wands, hit her up, she's a giver.
The bit one age and perception was very interesting and I will thank you not to remind me that my life is already seventy-one percent over (subjectively that is, hee hee). That was pretty cool Ann.
Some tasks are like that eh, force of will, kicking againist the pricks as they say, yukki do do duty!
Can I just say how refreshing your new blog look is, cool beans.
Blogger's new look includes not only a cool dashboard, but built-in comments. Of course, I lost all my old ones. I had to switch to a new template to implement them, and so picked a whole new design. Thanks for noticing, guys. I'm going to work on a real logo, instead of just the text as a header. I haven't really learned how to read the formatting code well, so tweaking is...difficult.
DH is down from the roof and the new attic fan is installed. We no longer have a trash can bag between the elements and the ceiling. He did not fall off and break his neck, as I so feared. And he didn't even thank me!
This comments section told me I didn't put in the right password. WELL, then, F*** the comments section :)
Kidding, kidding. Here's my comment:
Yay for attic fans!!!!!!!!!!!!
(We had one put in two years ago -- it made a big difference in being able to sleep at night.)
yeah Jo, me too, it is hard for me to get fired up about "career" and yet I am just sorta starting all over again. If I didn't have pride and ego it would be all so much easier. Perhaps I can get motivated to be self employed (naw, who am I kidding, that is like getting motivated to have a sex change, its really not my thing). It could all end tomorrow, time to chill out now!
Ann, I noticed you lost your comments - bummer. But it looks great, perhaps it was worth it?
Wow!! I hit the new Blogger editor when it popped up, but the comments are pretty neat. I like the new look.
While you work, how about a logo for mine? You can go into the graphics business - I get several pitches a week for web site improvement offers.
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